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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

versatile, excellent macros, pleasant images

Cons:

soft in some cases, slow optically

The first 50 images I shot with this lens were overly soft. As I worked more with the lens the images improved dramatically.

I typically start in manual mode and begin testing based upon what I know about light and exposure (which I'm learning slowly over time). I also switch to auto or programmed AE periodically and compare my results with what the camera's logic comes up with. I'm delighted to find when I get more consistent shots than the camera does automatically. Such is the case with this lens. Leaving it up to the camera usually blows the shot.

This is not a fast sports lens but this lens performs admirably given enough light. I have captured bees and butterflies in flight in direct sunlight. I have captured roses in windy conditions. I have shot cityscapes at night on long exposures and gotten tack sharp results on details 10 to 15 miles away. I have shot people candidly with no flash (tripod) as well as handheld with flash and have gotten great results, giving up only moderate detail at high ISO.

Odds are for every complaint someone levies about this lens, I can present a real-world example in which I got a successful shot.

This is a roughly $200 lens and I do not expect the performance of a lens at double or triple this price point. However it has routinely gotten shots that rivaled that which I know to have been taken by more expensive lenses.

It has met my expectations (and in a lot of cases exceeded them). It is also not a prime lens, but its not meant to be either. There are cases however that I have gotten shots that are as sharp as my nifty 50, and not just at the low focal lengths.

This lens especially has a very pleasant blur in the depth of field and subjects are well saturated. It adds to the pleasant look of images.

It is well built, and does not feel plastic like the canon kit lenses. The housing of the lens has a micro textured matte coating. It includes a hood.

Is it a perfect lens? No. But gets as much use as either of my other lenses.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 6

Pros:

Cheap

Cons:

You get exactly what you pay for

I have recently used a copy of this lens. Lets be honest, it is a very cheap lens, so I had no real expectations of anything special from it.
Used on a Canon EOS 30D, the results are at best mediocre.
I am not a regular Tele user so have no need to splash out for an expensive lens with IS.
However, unless you are prepared to ALWAYS use a tripod or only shoot in bright sunshine , I would forget it.
To be sensible , expecting to handhold a lens giving 480 mm on a 1.6 crop camera is unrealistic, whatever ISO you might use, the laws of physics alone preclude that.
So, up to 200mm in bright conditions, you have a useable lens, it never really gets sharp in the corners no matter what F stop you might use, and focuses slowly, sometimes baulking unexpectedly. Cropping your images will be required.
The build quality is quite good at the price point, no grumbles there. As a cheap secondhand lens it might fit your needs, however I would not buy one.
If money is tight, the Canon 55-250 IS is a far superior lens, with IS as part of its spec for not an awful lot more money. You would have a lens you could use all year round rather than just during the three month UK summer. A no brainer really!

jamesm007

Registered: March 2008Posts: 7

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by jamesm007

Review Date: 2/2/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $219.00| Rating: 7

Pros:

Superb CA/Pf performance, good build, nice contrast even out to 300mm, great macro mode

Cons:

Poor resolution from 200-300mm, need to be at f8 for OK, and f11 for good IQ

As some pro reviews say, I recommend this lens with "some reservations", if you don't care about 200-300mm sharpness or don't mind having to be at f11 or higher to get good results at 300mm. Now that's the only thing this lens does bad, its kinda a shame because everything else is good. It has very good contrast probably from having 3 ED elements, and those ED elements totally banish CA/PF, and better than any other ##-300mm consumer telephoto (from my research). The IQ performance below 200mm and at f8 is very nice, good color, sharp. Macro performance is great all the way to 300mm, this lens is sharp at f8 300mm at things 1m away but not 100m away, could be by design. Seems Sigma made it the best at CA/PF, great at macro, great up to 200mm, at the expense of sharpness 200-300mm. So you decide, you could think of it as a 70-200mm lens with outstanding performance for the price?? lol and with macro.

Even if you own a fine 300mm lens, you could use this as a light bag lens that can do macro and high IQ shots up to 200mm. With a tripod, and non moving object, this lens can produce some serious pics. At the price, it does have serious competition. And I can only recommend it, if performance in the 200-300mm is of little concern to you, and you need its other strengths.

Harry Lavo

Registered: August 2007Posts: 2

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by Harry Lavo

Review Date: 8/11/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $169.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Inexpensive; very decent quality if used properly; good macro

Cons:

Soft above 200mm in normal mode; fails to seek focus sometimes

This is a tricky product...because if used properly it is quite good, but if used improperly it is useless above 200mm.

What do I mean by "use properly". Just this: the lens is quite sharp in "normal" mode one stop above wide-open, and useable wide open at most focal lengths....that is up to 200mm. Above 200mm sharpness desolves quickly....UNLESS...one switches to macro mode. The lens will then stay even sharper from 200mm up to 300mm. In other words, "macro" isn't just for macros, but also essential for the tele end of the range.

In macro mode the lens is soft at some apertures but very sharp at its optimum f/13, with a usable range from about f/9 up to f/16.

The most annoying thing about the lens is its tendency to just quit looking for focus sometimes...in this case it is necessary to manuall focus to the vicinity, then let auto take over. It also helps to look for a really sharp contrast to focus on.

So it is a quirky lens. But if you learn its quirks...and learn to live with them...it is a tremendous bargain. It will outperform Nikons own 70-300 non-VR handily, and its 70-300 VR in the 200-300 range (when used in "macro" mode as suggested above).

Since the lens is light it is easy to handhold, and in good light is quite capable of capturing birds in flight.

The DG designation indicates both glass and multicoating designed to reduce glare and I can personally attest to that since I also own the older 70-300 APO Super. That lens went out longer in "normal" (to 240mm), was sharp again in "macro" at 300mm, but useless if the subject light agains a dark background in bright light.

So I give the DG version perhaps a better rating thatn some people, but it is contingent on using it properly.

onlyone

Registered: May 2008Posts: 8

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by onlyone

Review Date: 6/1/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $140.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

Cheap, Sharp enough for this price, Having Macro

Cons:

Don't hope for 200-300mm sharpness

Good budget lens.
But don't hope for image quality from 200-300 mm.
Its construction is so so, but for this price, it can beat Canon 75-300 (easily beat) and Tamron 70-300.

Telephoto zoom lens for starter and for this economic situation in my country.

skipper

Registered: February 2008Posts: 1

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by skipper

Review Date: 2/22/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

sharp, great for macros and nature, best bang for your buck

Cons:

Slips out of focus when pointed down, a bit slow in low light

I have enjoyed using this lens for 3 years and can't imagine another that would give me a better bang for this price. I also use a Kenko 1.4 teleconverter and it works well for nature shots. Most of the problems others are reporting are due to poor technique and not the lens. I always use a good tripod unles I am using 100% flash. The additional telephoto feature allows you to use this lens as a macro for bees, insects, butterflies, flowers etc. It has a nice working distance which allows you to use the pop up flash on your camera for fill flash shots. No need for an expensive ring flash. I have also used this lens for candid flash photos indoors with excellent results. Used properly, this lens will not disappoint.

els

Registered: May 2007Posts: 1

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by els

Review Date: 5/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $260.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

Cons:

Very nice.... but too hard understanding DOF in 200mm or 300mm need close diaphragm near 22 or more for good DOF but in wind and poor light the shot is very hardly.

macro work only in 200-300mm diapason and swithing is not a problem only then you turn of macro mode. because each time need switch in manual focus and set in more then 1.5 metre.
and once more then lens an the camera and camera have a direction to bottom the lens can change focal distance by self I mean this is not fixed.

blue_streak

Registered: January 2007Posts: 2

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by blue_streak

Review Date: 1/29/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $260.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Price, Zoom Range

Cons:

Sharpness at 300mm

You get what you pay for.
I have taken some really nice photos with this lens and overall I can’t complain. My problem is that I know what’s out there and that this lens is not comparable in that regard.

I have a 30D and I certainly do not want a lens to hold the cameras potential at bay. I will definitely be spending a few more dollars on a newer telephoto lens and I am having a hard time deciding between Canon’s 70-200 f/4 IS and the 700-200 f/2.8 IS.
I have also been eyeing the Sigma 100-300 as it has been getting some fantastic reviews.

Oh well… back to work for now.

silverbluemx

Registered: November 2006Posts: 16

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by silverbluemx

Review Date: 1/14/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 7

Pros:

Cheap, macro mode, light

Cons:

Macro switch.

This is an average zoom for a small price.
It is certainly better than the non-APO version.
Image quality is good from 70 to about 150mm wide open, and on the whole range when stopped down (I said good, not excellent).
The macro mode can be useful but is not really easy to use : you have to be at the long end to switch to macro mode and then you're locked, you can't switch to normal mode unless you focus to something far away... not really straightforward.
Build quality isn't that bad for the price, and this lens is not very heavy, it is only a bit long when fully extended.
If you want a zoom in this focal and price range, choose this one over the non-APO version., it is quite better.

Jericho

Registered: January 2007Posts: 4

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by Jericho

Review Date: 1/13/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $100.00| Rating: 7

Pros:

low price, nice zoom range, macro

Cons:

soft beyond 200 mm, feels a bit cheap, zoom ring feel

excellent lens for its price, can compete with very expensive tele lenses when shooting up to 200mm.

small and light and can fit in a pouch.

soft at 300mm and harder to hold tight but in good lighting its excellent.

if u dont have the money for an expensive zoom, there is no better alternative among the cheapst.

JimT

Registered: January 2007Posts: 3

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by JimT

Review Date: 1/10/2007

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 5

Pros:

Cons:

I borrowed this lens from a friend to test.

I tried shooting my sons hockey game with it.
Not very happy with the results. IQ was ok,not great but ok for the price. but was a bit too slow of a lens for indoor sports. might be ok outside.

ychen

Registered: January 2007Posts: 5

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by ychen

Review Date: 1/8/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

excellent bang for the buck, small, good quality

Cons:

feels cheap, soft at 300mm, no IS, slow AF in low light

excellent lens for its price, can compete with very expensive tele lenses when shooting up to 200mm.

small and light and can fit in a pouch. no need for back pack.

soft at 300mm and harder to hold tight but in good lighting its excellent.

if u dont have the money for an expensive zoom, there is no better alternative among the cheapst.

Lee Jay

Registered: January 2007Posts: 16

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by Lee Jay

Review Date: 1/7/2007

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $210.00| Rating: 2

Pros:

Cheap, good range, usable macro

Cons:

Horrible optics, terrible build

The only truely bad lens I've ever owned (and I owned two of them). Horrible at 300mm and f5.6 doesn't begin to describe just how bad it is. In fairness, it's good below 150mm and above f11 above that. Not very useful. I replaced mine with the 70-300IS which is so much better it's laughable.

trentdp

Registered: September 2006Posts: 26

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by trentdp

Review Date: 1/5/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 7

Pros:

Pretty good value for long zoom

Cons:

Heavy

I owned an earlier version of this lens on my Nikon N60 but only sparingly. I used it for a while on my D70 but was not particularly impressed by the sharpness even when stepped down to F8-F16. If you are anything like me on buying a lens, you will end up buying and selling several lenses before finally realizing it was a waste of time and money. Eventually, you will have to bite the bullet and spend the money on a much better lens to get really good picture quality. An alternative would be to buy a really good tripod with ball mount head and you can get away with these low cost lenses for a while before eventually buying a good one.

SteveR12682

Registered: December 2006Posts: 10

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by SteveR12682

Review Date: 12/30/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good value

Cons:

Soft at the long end

This lens is probably the best choice out of all of the 70-300 lenses in the $200 or below price range. Image quality gets a little soft at the 300 mm end, but the APO glass does a good job controlling CA.

JoSKaT

Registered: December 2006Posts: 5

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by JoSKaT

Review Date: 12/30/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

good image quality

Cons:

hunts af at 300mm, slow

i bought this lens back when i bought my nikon N65 in Nov 2001. I'm still using it with my Nikon D80. I have to admit that inspite of the cheap feel of this lens, it produces good quality photos taken either from my N65 or my D80. I've been using it for 5 years and the only time i have problem with it is hen it hunts at the long end. I'm expecting that though and i know it's limitations. I know when i can use it and when not to. Other than that, it had served me well considering the price i paid for it. It's cheap. If you dont want to spend a fortune on nikon lenses with the same focal lenght i have to say that you might want to consider this lens. Macro is a bonus on this lens. However if you have the money spend it wisely and get those great nikon lenses or canon if you're a canon shooter. Third party lenses are good compromise if you're tight on the budget.
Would i recommend this lens, of course i have used it for 5 years and still using it, providing me with good results.

mbuf

Registered: December 2006Posts: 7

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by mbuf

Review Date: 12/28/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

good tele range, macro

Cons:

soft at long end

This lens is the first tele lens I owned. Its range is very good, from 70 to 300, and the aperture is ok if you shoot in good light, otherwise a tripod is mandatory for non-blurry pictures.
I used it for typical tele pictures, but also for shhoting moon, sun and eclipses, of course with a special filter mounted in the front of the lens.
The macro capability is amaizing: even if it is not a true 1:1macro, it is only 1:2, but the closest distance is a little bit less than one metter, so it will not disturb the subject too much.
At long end (200-300) it becomes soft, but the image is still not to bad.
Since it extend while zooming or at macro, a very good tripod and head is needed, otherwise it fall down in the front.
What I would like to have at this lens is the IS capability...

nikoskard

Registered: November 2006Posts: 17

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by nikoskard

Review Date: 12/27/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good lens for money, nice feel of quality, LightWeight.

Cons:

Soft at 300, slight soft at 200, slow autofocus, needs light.

It was my first tele lens, and i enjoyed using it. Don't wait miracles, but for this money it is a bargain.

I switch to 70-200L now and i sell my sigma but i really liked it. It has by no mean the IQ of L glass but you know what to expect for the amount you paid. And for the money is a lot of glass.

Be careful with the light that lens need to make good photos. Also have in mind that it is difficult to focus in average light conditions.

If you are in low money and want a telephoto go for it. It is the best you can buy for the money.

btjh86

Registered: December 2006Posts: 10

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by btjh86

Review Date: 12/24/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good bargain! Like the inclusion of the macro.

Cons:

Soft at 300mm, slow focusing, slow optically

I got this lens because I was on a budget and I think its money well spent. The major gripes are its slow AF and aperture, but once you learn how to live with those, you can work wonders with this lens. I have used this lens for some macro work and it works beautifully!

I shot an airshow with this lens and I'm surprised that the AF hit spot on with flying planes 85% of the time.

Sometimes, I find manual focusing is easier because the lens sometimes hunts especially in low light.

I would recommend this lens to anyone on a tight budget. Its the best you can find for this price.

NYCMario

Registered: December 2006Posts: 4

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by NYCMario

Review Date: 12/14/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $209.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sharp, very low CA

Cons:

None

I replaced my very inexpensive Nikon 70-300G lens with this Sigma after hearing some good things. Physically, it's about the same, and has the unfortunate characteristic of extending way out at longer zoon ranges.

The only problem with that is, honestly, it looks silly.

But performance wise, it is sharper than the Nikon G and ED versions of the same range, and in between the two in terms of cost. The CA performance beats the G version, and is as good as the ED version at a lower price.

What really amazes me is the sharpness, especially at the lower zoom range. Note: I'm not saying that the longest range is bad, because it's not. I'm just saying the shorter range is amazing.

The only thing I would like to see is a little bit closer focusing.

Neogene

Registered: November 2006Posts: 8

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by Neogene

Review Date: 12/11/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $150.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Apo, Cheap, Macro 1:2

Cons:

Grip not good as tamron 70-300.

I've switched to it from my tamron 70-300. It suffered of too much chromatic aberrations for my taste.

The APO is really useful.

The Colors are faithfull than the Tamron which instead tend to create a bit cooler images.

I noticed that the Tamron when in macro mode at 300 go to F6 while Sigma keep F5.6 as declared.

The drawback is the not so handy grip that sometime i feel blocking.

For sharpeness "simply" use F6 or more and i'm happy. If there is less light it's better an "evergreen" solid tripod.

tiberius

Registered: December 2006Posts: 2

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by tiberius

Review Date: 12/9/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $190.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Cheap, pretty sharp, great value overall

Cons:

No cons so far, especially for this price

At this price it's hard to have any cons. It's my first long tele lens and I am very happy to have it in my camera bag. It is not very fast and you need good light to get good, sharp images.
Here is my favourite shot with it:http://dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=269391

It's not a L glass lens but definetely a good choice in this price range.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

Light, good sharpness wide open until 200mm, high value for money

Cons:

Needs to be closed down to f8-f11 over 200mm, slow AF (on D50)

I bought this lens as a first telezoom, together with a D50. My objective was to get a good first trial in the telezoom field, keeping in mind that I would shoot mainly outdoor (windsurf, hichking) and was on a budget. In this category this lens is just great, very light therefore you might not wonder putting it or not in the bag.

I am now seriously consdiering upgrade into sigma 100-300 F4 to get more sharpness above 200mm, which is unfortuantely the weak point of this lens.

All in all, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a not-too expensive & light lens, shooting outdoor in lightfull environment.

bwiggint

Registered: November 2006Posts: 1

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by bwiggint

Review Date: 11/28/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $189.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Inexpensive

Cons:

Non that I have found yet

I am a Pro-am photographer and wanted a good, but inexpensive lens. This one did it. I have been able to take more photos with this lens that simply astonish me. I shoot with the Nikon D80 and this lens makes a perfect companion for my kit lens.

Highly recommend it.

colourperfect_co_uk

Registered: November 2006Posts: 18

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by colourperfect_co_uk

Review Date: 11/21/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

cheap and light

Cons:

plasticky build quality

The build quality is very plasticky particularly when zoomed out and using the macro facility (1:2 max).

The manual focusing didnt inspire confidence with a hint of lens creep when pointed downwards

Image quality was acceptable after a bit of contrast enhancement in PS.

The 300mm end sufers a little with sharpness.

Upgraded to a Nikon 70-200 which is on a different planet ( cost and qulaity)

OK for a budget entry zoom but you will always be wanting something a bit better

colourperfect

tecomella

Registered: August 2006Posts: 1

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by tecomella

Review Date: 10/3/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $234.00| Rating: 8

Its a bad lens if you think it will shoot like a prime with astounding speed and accuracy and be sharp at f5.6 300mm.
However if you shoot within the limitations of this lens, you will find that its a great lens vis-a-vis the cost that sigma is selling it at. It is definitely better than any 70-300 in the market. The tamron is the closest but suffers from excessive CA and noisy motor.
I use it with my D50 and I prefer shooting at f/8 at 300mm. It is quite sharp then.
The macro is relatively good but only for flowers and butterflies.
I am a nature photographer and I feel its a great companion to have on the treks for those who like to shoot everything from the moths to the mammals.
See it for yourself:www.flickr.com/photos/gauravbhatnagar
andwww.pbase.com/gauravbhatnagar

terpa

Registered: April 2006Posts: 1

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro APO review by terpa

Review Date: 4/20/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Price, capabilities, macro

Cons:

Build quality, lens cap, noise

I decided to pick that lens over Nikon 70-300ED due to lesser price and macro feature for my D50.

Generally nice, sharp lens when used outdoors. Indoors average, with some focusing problems when in poor light conditions.
Macro feature is a nice add-on for that lens but macro switch is difficult to use, cheap plastic. Same as lens cap, very difficult to handle comparing to superior Nikon cap.
Lens hood is same cheap plastic and difficult to handle.
In the manual is a note when using A or M modes the lens' aperture ring should be used. But when I tried to use it D50 reported an error.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $229.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Price, range, great quality for the $

Cons:

None I can say

I picked this lens up for my D70, it came in a kit with the 28-70mm, paid $229 for the kit at Wolf.

I gave this lens it's first real action workout at a stunt show, and it proved itself to be very fast, easy to use, and the image quality is very good, especially for a lens at this price point. It may be that a more expensive lens would do even better, but for a hobby, I really can't justify spending $800+ for a lens...not yet, anyway...

If you are looking to get started with a good camera body...get a body only, and pick up the two lens kit Sigma makes....it's the only way to get started, as far as I am concerned...Both lenses are fast, good quality, and very capable.